My Chicken and “Rice” Recipe and Non Toxic Cookware Guide

One thing I’ve learned after starting my family is that finding good recipes that don’t take several hours to make is really important. It’s so easy to say, “well, nothing is cooked, so let’s just head out to eat.” How often have you heard those words come out of your mouth? Fast food or eating out is such a waste of money and will pack on the pounds at the same time. Don’t get me wrong, getting “vacation meals” every now and then isn’t bad but don’t make it a habit.

I am with the kids 24/7 and even though Derrek is more than hands on when he is home, it’s still exhausting. If I don’t spend a little time planning out our meals, I’ve found that’s when we eat out more. It’s such a bad habit to pick up because before you realize it, you’re eating out most days of the week and the groceries you bought are rotten. I am thankful for our family favorites that I can make in a pinch when I feel worn out at the end of the day. We eat this chicken and quinoa meal regularly and the entire family loves it! I always make mine spicy with lots of hot sauce but the rest of my crew just eats it as is. It takes less than an hour to throw everything in the oven and bake so you can’t go wrong!

INGREDIENTS
-1/2 of an onion
-1 tsp minced garlic
-1 tbsp Fourth and Heart ghee
-1 cup quinoa
-2 cups chicken bone broth
chicken rub:
-1 tsp paprika powder
-1 tsp dried thyme
-1/2 tsp onion powder
-3/4 tsp salt
-black pepper

RECIPE
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. scatter onion and garlic in a baking dish then put the ghee in the center. Bake for 15 minutes, mix if any pieces are browning to much.
3. meanwhile, mix together chicken sub. Sprinkle on both sides of the chicken.
4. Remove baking dish from the oven, add quinoa then mix.
5. Place chicken on quinoa. Pour bone broth around chicken.
6. cover and bake for 35 minutes then remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes.
7. Stand for five minutes then fluff and serve.

I also wanted to share something that I get asked regularly. What’s the big deal about non toxic cookware AND what brand(s) do you suggest. Honestly y’all, I had no idea how toxic cookware is until four years ago. I was in complete shock to find out that most pots and pans become porious when they are heated and all the things you are cooking absorb into your cookware until the next time you heat it up. GROSS!

Sure, we take time to choose organic and to avoid chemical food additives when we can, but these aren’t the only toxins that can be present in our food. Our cookware may also be contributing to our toxic state. Think about it, you want to cook with your pots and pans, but you don’t want to eat them!

And unfortunately, most modern cookware leaches toxins right into the food we’re eating. So that’s not just an omelet you’re tasting–you could be munching on some not so nourishing aluminum (yuck, right?). The leaching issue is a big one, believe me.

So, after finding out all of this, I started researching non toxic cookware and…. I became overwhelmed. There are so many brands out on the market and so many conflicting reviews. A woman that goes to our church, invited me to her home for a cooking party and my answers were laid out in front of me. I was introduced to New Era Cookware at her home and I’ve used it ever since!

New Era cookware has distinctive 7 Ply induction ready multi-clad surgical stainless steel to create the very finest cooking experience in your home. Most people over cook and cook out the nutrients in their food, I myself, was one of them! Now, I simmer my food and don’t over cook (much) thanks to my new pots and pans.

They manufacture high quality cookware with care and respect for the environment. Their manufacturing facility recycles all possible production waste and uses biodegradable materials and a minimal amount of water. Another thing that I love is, as a company, they believe in creating the highest quality product that will last a lifetime and thus have the lowest impact on the environment and save you money over a lifetime of use. So this means that my pots and pants have a lifetime warranty. I can pass these down to my children and they can pass them down to their grandchildren and the warranty never goes away! How fabulous is that?

Now, I’ll be honest in saying that this cookware is in investment and for that reason, we financed it to help with our credit. It was something that Derrek and I talked about for a long time and determined it was the best thing we could do for our health. We cook 3x a day, everyday and knowing that these will be passed down in the family helped us even more with our decision.

If you want to change out your cookware for safer but don’t have the funds or the credit to do what we did, I want to share a few other brands that my friends and family use and love. These are great brands and will keep your food and you from absorbing toxic chemicals when you’re cooking:
LeCreuset
SaladMaster
Stone Earth Pan by Ozeri
Lodge Cast Iron